The Alta Resources Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) announced the eight finalists who will be presenting at the upcoming Culver’s Business Model Contest which will be held Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Each team is given four minutes to present their ideas to an elite panel of hand-selected judges from across the state in this Shark Tank-like event.
CEI director Jordan Rhodes is excited about the judges and audience to meet the presenters and learn more about their ideas.
- Dayne Rusch, a senior from Two Rivers majoring in finance, is pitching Pyxsee a mobile app to manage social media usage.
- Shawn Erickson, a junior from Marinette majoring in finance, is pitching Nirsis a mobile app for on-demand at home nursing care.
- Jon Bedell, a junior from Naperville, Illinois, majoring in finance, is pitching Pura Vita an at home aquaponics system.
- Alex Burmester, a first-year student from Deforest studying business, is pitching Wildin Clothing an eCommerce clothing store that donates part of sales to environmental causes.
- Madeline Vasseau, a senior from DePere majoring in human services leadership, is pitching Lucky 7 Dog Rescue, a business that rescues and rehomes animals
- Justin Wiechman, a junior from Fond du Lac majoring in interactive web management and journalism, is pitching Winnebago Royal Marketing, a digital marketing company.
- Eric Riggers, a graduate student from Appleton, is pitching Reinvent Ferment which produces fermented fruit and vegetable products.
- Rebecca Timmins, a graduate student from Menasha, is pitching a resource for children with autism for the Oshkosh Autism Center.
Contestants will have four minutes for a presentation and two minutes of question/answer with the judges before winners are announced. First place will be awarded $18,600 in cash and in-kind services, second place receives $14,500 in cash and in-kind services and third place receives $7,900 in cash and in-kind services.